I now drink water. Not just plain old water. I buy the Crystal Light Singles and the Sugar Free Hawaiin Punch. To go from 41 grams of sugar in 1 can of Pepsi to 0 grams of sugar in the Hawaiian Punch doesn’t sound like much. But when you drink say 4 cans a day which for some people is actually low. That right there is 164 grams of sugar alone. Not counting the 150 calories per can of Pepsi. Sure there is the Diet Pepsi or the Coke Zero or whatever but I don’t like the flavor. Yes I can tell the difference as most people can, although some find theres no taste difference.

Anyways.that 150 Calories in 1 can of Pepsi compared to my bottle of Poland Spring water with a Hawaiian Punch Sugar Free Packet weight in at 10 calories. Now I take with me 3 bottles a day to work. Sometimes I will just drink the water some days they will all have a flavor packet. You get the idea. But say I mix a packet in all 3 and refill a bottle and add a packet. That’s only 40 calories and still zero grams of sugar. Compared to 600 calories and 164 grams of sugar.

600 calories! Are you kidding me? Average daily calorie is 2,000 as if you didn’t already know that. But that’s basically one third of your calorie intake for the entire day from liquid. You are still going to need food to give you the proper vitamins minerals and everything else your body needs. You will not get this from soda. Now don’t get me wrong when I’m home from work I will drink a soda with a certain dinner plate. Some things don’t go well with water. But I try to limit myself to two sodas a week.

Here is the shattering numbers. Today is my 72nd day at my job. At my old job I would easily drink 4 soda’s a day. For laughs lets knock that down to 3 per day. 3 ( per day ) x 150 ( calories ) = 450 Calories per day x 72 ( days ) = 32,400 calories I haven’t consumed from soda alone! That right there is 16 days worth of calories!

Not eye opening enough? Fine lets break the sugar down. 41 grams per can of Pepsi 3 times a day is  123 grams of sugar per day x 72 days = 8,856 grams of sugar.  Doesn’t sound like much you say. Well lets do the conversion as per onlineconversion.com which says 8,856 grams equals 19.524137939 pounds!!!!  19 1/2 pounds are you kidding me?! 184 before I started the job + no soda* + walking 1-3 miles per day =  16 pound weight loss.

The walking 1-3 miles a day you probably say is hard to do. But its not at all. I spent a few bucks on one of those pedometers where it counts the steps and how far a distance you walked as well as how many calories you burned in the process. It’s not really that hard. Soon as you put your pants on in the morning put this in your pocket and you are good to go.

Eliminate soda ( limit yourself to 2 cans per week at the most ) keep track of how much you walk and you will see the pounds fall off with very minimal effort.

*no soda = limited to 2 per week at the most.

I figured since I started this site I pretty much neglected it, so with the stress test done I am going to start on writing articles on here again. Went last week as well and got blood work and an EKG done so I’m not just waiting on the results for that so I can write about those as well. I thought they would have been back by now, maybe today or this week.

Why did I get an EKG, blood work, and a Stress test done. Well I got a new job back in July. But had to take these test back in June to get hired. Now that I’m hired and going off to the academy they need to run the tests again. So when I get the blood work report back I will compare the two reports and post the results.

So starting October 6th until December 16th I will be at a Corrections Academy. Yes I will be working in a jail. So I will be doing plenty of  pushups, situps, pullups and running for miles. So I will be posting my day to day drills and I may even take a picture each day to see day to day improvements on my body over the course of the academy training.

I say I’m healthy on paper, but I don’t feel as healthy as I should I suppose for my 26 year old 5′9″ 168.2 pound body. Why 168.2 pounds ? Where does the .2 ( point two ) pounds come from? Well I use an Omron Scale which measures everything you would want to know. I’m going to write a review on that shortly. I don’t like some ofthe numbers that the scale tells me. More so the 22.2% body fat. I’d like to see this number around 15% or there abouts. So during the academy weeks and afterwards this will be my goal.

So look for more articles soon.

This exercise is best performed on a hamstring curl machine. Lie in the machine and set the foot pads and back pads so that they are comfortable for you (the foot pad should sit just above your ankle). Then slowly curl the weight down or up (depending on the machine — sitting or laying), using your hamstring muscles. Make sure you move slowly and resist the tension on both the eccentric and concentric phases (lowering and lifting).

Calf raises

For this exercise, hold dumbbell in each hand again. Then find your balance and slowly rise up as high as you can onto your toes. Hold that position for a second and then slowly lower your heels back to the ground. To make this exercise more challenging, perform it on a step so you can actually lower yourself past a normal standing position, thus increasing the range of motion that you take your muscles through.

Reverse calf raises

For this exercise, stand on a step with your toes hanging off toward the ground. Then, holding a dumbbell or barbell in your hands, slowly bring your toes up toward you and squeeze in this position as hard as you can. Then lower them back down (so they are pointing more toward the floor). The more range of motion you can achieve with this exercise, the greater your development will be.

Basic squats

Using a barbell or squat rack, place the barbell on your shoulders behind your neck. Then, with your feet shoulder-width apart, squat down as if you were going to sit on a box. Be sure to keep your knees in line with your toes, otherwise you could risk knee injuries.

Once you are as low as comfortable (try and get to a 90-degree angle), slowly rise up to a standing position to complete one rep, pressing down on your heels to do so. There are many different variations on the basic squat, such as front squats, back squats (changing where you place the barbell on your body) and sumo squats (turning your feet out so you incorporate your glutes and inner thigh muscles more).

Feel free to work these into your routine as well, as you become more advanced and are comfortable with the basic squat exercise.

Deadlifts

For this exercise, either hold a barbell in front of you or two dumbbells by each side. Slowly squat down once again so the weights are beside your feet, making sure your back remains straight throughout the movement. Hold this position for a second and then come back up to the start position, again pressing down on your heels. The main difference between this exercise and the squat, is that you adjust your body weight so you are leaning slightly more forward.

Walking lunges

Holding a pair of dumbbells, perform walking lunges by taking a large step in front of you with your right foot, bending both knees, and lowering your body down into a lunge position. Then, pushing off your back foot and using your front quad muscle, rise back up and then step forward with the next leg, and complete the process. In this exercise as well, be sure your knees are moving directly in front of your toes and that your knees are in line with your ankles.

To vary this exercise, you can take a smaller or larger step forward. A smaller step will target your quadriceps more, whereas a longer step will target your hamstrings more effectively.

Again with lunges, there are a few varieties you can perform. You could do stationary lunges, which are the same as walking lunges only you do not walk forward and you perform all reps on one leg and then switch; jump lunges, where you jump into the air from the lunge position, change legs in the air and land in the opposite lunge position; and side lunges, where you step more to an angle and incorporate your gluteus muscles more.

For all of the following easy ab exercises, make sure to suck in your stomach, which will activate your transversus abdominis, the muscle that should always fire before any other core muscle.

Crunches
Lie flat on your back on the floor. Take a deep breath, suck in your stomach, keep your eyes focused on the ceiling, and raise your upper body off the ground until it is at a 45-degree angle with the floor. Don’t pull on your neck, as this can lead to forward head posture, neck pain and, in extreme cases, migraine headaches. Hold the contraction for 2 to 3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Standing side bends
Stand up straight and suck in your stomach. Keeping your legs straight and your arms at your sides, lean from left to right. Make sure you don’t rotate at the hips; rather, keep your upper body in a forward-facing position and simply tilt your body left and right. This easy ab exercise primarily works the obliques, but it also engages the entire abdominal wall and some of the lower back muscles. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Torso twists
The torso twist is one of our favorite routines for tightening up the midsection and it’s among the best easy ab exercises. Stand up straight, suck in your stomach and rotate your upper body from left to right while keeping your legs straight. As you turn, you will engage both the internal and external obliques, which are very important core muscles. The contraction produced in this exercise will hit the obliques from a different plane of motion than the side bends. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Double crunches
Whenever you do a crunch, you work the entire abdominal area, but there are ways to add a little more emphasis to certain sections of the abdominals. The double crunch combines the crunch and another exercise called the knee raise, which will place more emphasis on the lower abdominal region.

Lie flat on your back against the floor with your legs in the air and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle so that your calves are parallel with the floor. Take a deep breath, suck in your stomach, keep your eyes focused on the ceiling, and raise your upper body off the ground until it is at a 45-degree angle with the floor. Once again, make sure not to pull your neck. Hold the contraction for 2 to 3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

easy abs
If you follow these easy ab exercises, you will effectively work your core muscles.  In combination with good nutritional and cardiovascular plans, they will help you achieve those chiseled muscles in no time. Also, don’t forget to include stretching in your regimen, as resistance training exercises tighten up the muscles.

Myth No. 1: Steady-state cardio is the best way to burn fat.
The truth: Although you may be able to perform this “easier” type of cardio for a longer period of time, thus burning more calories while you are doing it, it is what happens afterward that is more significant. With high intensity interval training, which is cardio performed at a much more intense level, your body will expend a greater number of calories throughout the day in order to repair itself after the hard workout; this results in a greater number of overall calories burned.

Myth No. 2: The more cardio you do, the more you can eat.
The truth: Don’t we all wish this were true? So many people operate under the false notion that they can eat a double cheeseburger, and then just go burn it off at the gym. First off, do you realize that it would take about 2 hours of running to burn that many calories? I bet that burger doesn’t look so appetizing now. Second, if you go by this principle, you will likely spend way too much time doing cardio, which will result in overtraining and possible injury. There is nothing that halts progress like these two unwanted evils.

Myth No. 3: Wearing weights while you do cardio helps you burn more fat.
The truth: If you think those two-pound ankle straps are going to launch you into fat-burning mode, think again. Not only are they not heavy enough to significantly impact your calorie burn, they will also throw off your balance, which could lead to injury. You‘re better off focusing on raising the intensity of your cardio rather than the amount of resistance. If your goal is to get stronger, get off the cardio machine and into the weight room; that is where strength progress is made.

Myth No. 4: You should do the same type of cardio every day if you want to see progress.
The truth: Just as in weight training, if you perform the same movement day in and day out, your body will adapt and become more “efficient.” You will end up burning fewer and fewer calories, and reaching the dreaded plateau. Instead, try to mix it up by running one day, biking the next, and possibly venturing onto the elliptical machine on the third day. In addition to changing machines, don’t forget to vary the intensity of your workout. This will force your body to alternate between periods of being pushed to its limits and resting, which will ensure that progress is made.

Myth No. 5: If you only have 10 minutes to do cardio, you might as well skip it.
The truth: 10 minutes is 10 minutes! When it comes to burning fat, every movement you make throughout the day counts; even the simple act of lifting your coffee cup burns calories. You’re much better off just making what you can out of those 10 minutes. If you frequently find yourself lacking time to do cardio, try breaking your workout into segments: 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes at night — whatever works best for you.

Myth No. 6: You shouldn’t eat before cardio if you want to lose body fat.
The truth: This is a much debated topic, and it basically boils down to the type of cardio you are doing. If it is a steady-state, moderately paced workout, then you don’t need to eat; working out on an empty stomach may even help you access your fat stores faster. If you plan on doing HIIT sprints, however, you must eat beforehand. This type of cardio requires glucose for fuel, so not eating will throw your body into a catabolic state (during which you burn muscle tissue) and you won’t even be able to maintain the intensity this workout requires. You are best off eating a small meal that contains carbohydrates and protein about an hour beforehand.

Myth No. 7: Cardio demands little concentration, so you can entertain yourself by reading or watching TV.
The truth: If you are able to fully focus on a TV or a magazine while performing cardio, you are not working hard enough. Your pace should be fast enough that you are only able to focus on the task at hand.  If it is “easy” day, you may be able to get away with watching some TV; however, a better option would be to pay attention to your movements to ensure that you are using proper form.

cardio no-nos
Next time you question what type of cardio best suits your needs, keep these common myths in mind. Don’t fall for what many others before you believed; it will only lead to disappointment. If you are still uncertain about what is best for you, your next course of action should be to speak to a qualified trainer who can provide you with an appropriate program.

Let’s face it: No man wants to wear a bra. Getting man boobs will make you feel unattractive and will give you a low self-esteem. Every guy knows the best way to attract a woman is by being confident, so how can you win this man boob battle?

It comes down to gaining control of your diet and committing to the proper exercise program. And remember: If you don’t stick to it, the next time you hit the beach, you may find yourself resembling your girlfriend more than the guy with rock-hard pecks.
why you get man boobs
There are two main reasons guys get man boobs. The first comes from simply being overweight. Man boobs, or “moobs,” are composed of fatty tissue stored over the pectoral muscles. A common myth is that you can spot reduce your man boobs, but unfortunately, you can’t pick and choose where your body is going to shed its fat, so you will just have to lower it overall.

In order to remove fat deposits from your body, you have to adhere to a cardio and strength-training workout program and follow a proper diet. You must create a slight caloric deficit in order to lose weight. This means either increasing the number of calories you expend through exercise or reducing the number of calories you take in by changing your diet. If you are smart, you will do both.

The second reason guys get man boobs is due to a medical condition called gynecomastia. This is a hormonal condition in which the body produces an increased amount of estrogen and a decreased amount of testosterone. Gynecomastia can often happen as the result of taking certain medications that influence the body’s hormonal levels. It can also occur if someone is suffering from a testicular tumor, which causes estrogen production to significantly increase.

To treat this problem, medical advice should be sought. Most often, the patient will be taken off the particular medication or will be given anti-estrogen treatment. Surgery may be necessary if the problem does not improve.
exercises that prevent man boobs
Cardio
Cardio will enable you to burn a significant amount of calories over a set period of time, helping you to achieve the caloric deficit that is necessary for fat loss.

1- Interval training: Interval training is your best option because it will kick your metabolism into high gear. Since it is so intense, your body will expend a great deal of calories — even after you are finished working out — in order to repair and rebuild the muscle tissues that have been damaged.

Your interval training session should be done for about 20 to 25 minutes, during which time you work out at a ratio of 1:3 in regards to hard vs. easy. Ideally, aim for 20 to 30 seconds of hard training and 1 to 2 minutes of easy cardio, and repeat this ratio 8 to 15 times.

Get rid of your man boobs by doing these cardio and strength-training exercises…

2- Running: Generally, the best mode of cardiovascular exercise to do for fat loss is running; however, if you have joint problems or just really hate running, there are several other methods that can be substituted.

3- Rowing: A good option is to use a rowing machine or to actually go rowing outside. Rowing is a great form of exercise for fighting man boobs since it encompasses all your upper body muscles, allowing you to sculpt your chest while you burn fat.

4- Elliptical machine: While biking is a good cardiovascular workout, it focuses more specifically on your lower body. Many people are now turning to the elliptical machine for their cardio sessions. This machine is a great calorie burner since it uses both arms and legs, and it is easy on the joints.

5- Playing sports: Don’t forget about sports. Activities such as tennis, basketball, hockey, and soccer are great cardiovascular workouts, as they typically involve all-out bursts of movement accompanied by shorter periods of rest. Playing sports goes a long way in helping you burn stubborn body fat, thus preventing the development of man boobs. So join that soccer team and get that old tennis racket out of your closet.
Strength training
Strength training exercises will not burn a great deal of calories while you are performing them, but they will help to increase your lean muscle mass, which is responsible for determining how many calories you burn on a daily basis. Weight training will also promote the development of strong and shapely chest muscles, so when the fat does come off, you are going to look significantly more attractive.

1- Seated chest press: Sit with your back flat against the machine and slowly push the weights straight out in a horizontal motion, then return to the starting position. Keep your breathing controlled and the movement steady. Perform four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

2- Cable crossovers: Attach the handles to either side of a pulley station and stand with your arms extended at shoulder level, your elbows slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly bring your hands together in front of you and cross them. Return to the starting position and repeat. Concentrate on using your pectoral muscles to generate the power needed to perform this action. Do four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

3- Incline flyes: Sitting on an incline bench at about a 45 degree angle with the dumbbells held above you, lower your hands out to the sides (but not lower than your shoulders), then bring your hands back together above you, mimicking a hugging action. Perform four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

4- Bench press: Lie with your back against the bench and slowly press the barbell directly upward. Make sure that your back does not rise off the bench, and that you are breathing out on the upward movement and inhaling on the downward action. Perform four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

5- Push-ups: Push-ups are an excellent workout for your upper body and can be done anywhere. Place your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and lower yourself so that your nose is almost touching the ground. Pause for a second, then rise up again. To add an extra challenge, try doing clap push-ups: After the lowering motion is complete, drive yourself up with enough force to clap your hands before resuming the push-up position. Perform four sets of as many as you can.

buy a jockstrap, not a bra
Don’t let man boobs scare you. As long as you follow a healthy diet and get regular cardiovascular exercise, you should not have to deal with this problem, unless it is due to medical reasons. If this is the case, you will not be able to exercise the condition away and might need to elect for surgery just as The Rock did. If you do notice signs that man boobs may be developing, take action immediately to halt any further progress.

Since your goal is not to achieve your maximum size, the shortened rest breaks will not hinder you in getting good muscle definition. You still need to rest enough so that you can challenge yourself, but there is no need for two-minute rest periods anymore.

Learn the exercises you should do to get that lean, cut look you’re after.

what to do

Supersets are an exercise technique in which you perform one set of an exercise for one muscle group, and then another set for an antagonistic group. For example, complete one set of bicep curls followed by one set of overhead tricep presses.  Since these muscles oppose one another, while one is working, the other can rest. This both cuts down on your total workout time and increases the overall amount of calories burned during your training session.

Getting lean and toned is dependent on burning more calories than you take in to remove excess body fat, so anything that helps you accomplish this is a step in the right direction. Try to incorporate these types of exercises into your workout as much as possible. Good examples are chest presses supersetted with bent-over rows and leg extensions supersetted with hamstring curls.

Circuit training is another good option for those looking to get lean and toned. It works in a similar way to supersets, but instead of working opposing muscle groups, you complete an entire circuit of exercises for your whole body. Perform one set of each exercise before moving onto the next one with little or no rest in-between. Once you finish one whole circuit, take a few minutes to rest, and then complete it again one to three more times.

Additionally, you may want to focus on increasing the velocity in which you perform the concentric (working portion) of your exercise, as this will help develop your fast twitch muscle fibers more.

When it comes to cardio, the preferred method is interval training. This allows you to push your body for a short period of time, and then take a period to rest and recover before going once again. It is preferable because it will also help develop your fast twitch muscle fibers and will kick your metabolism into high gear.

Any form of exercise that is very intense will help with your fat-burning process as the body will expend a great deal of calories repairing the damaged muscle tissue once you are finished your workout. Try to incorporate at least two sessions of interval training into your week — one focusing on longer intervals of one minute with two minutes of rest, and the other focusing on shorter intervals of 20 to 30 seconds with one to one and a half minutes of rest. Note: The shorter the interval, the more intense it should be.

Plyometric training uses exercises that require you to move very quickly using only your body weight. They are great for developing explosive power and strength. Since you are not acting against a heavy weight load, you will not get the same hypertrophy effects that result in the bulky muscle look. Typical plyometric exercises are:

Box jumps: Jump onto as high of a box as you can, and then back down again. For added difficulty, try doing this off one leg.

Squat jumps: Begin by moving from a standing position down into a full squat, then rapidly push off the ground using your thigh muscles to propel yourself as high as possible. Land once again in a full squat position and repeat 10 to 15 times.

Clap push-ups: Perform the normal push-up action, but use your muscles to propel your body off the ground in the up phase. While in the air, clap your hands together and then land back into the push-up position to complete the downward portion of the exercise.
get lean, toned and cut
If you are looking to develop a defined yet muscular body, put some of these principles into effect. You do not have to be huge to be strong, and most people these days prefer a more toned appearance over a bulky look. Don’t forget to stretch, make sure your diet is free from all junk and processed foods, and make sure you are eating five to six times a day to keep your metabolism up. Once you have mastered both the workout and the diet, your physique will get noticed.

Resource:
www.pponline.co.uk

Equipment: Dumbbells. Start with a 3- to 5-pound dumbbell, and use lighter or heavier weights depending on your fitness level.

* Sitting or Standing: Beginners should perform this exercise seated, with feet firmly on the floor. As you progress in fitness, you can perform this while seated on an exercise ball, standing, or standing on at Fit Disc or BOSU ball for more of a stability challenge.
* Hold each dumbbell at shoulder height next to your shoulder, palms facing forward.
* Press the dumbbells straight up, and at arm’s length overhead.
* If you keep the press slightly in front of your body, you are less likely to arch your back, according to our Exercise Guide.
* Lower the weights slowly back to the starting position.
* Exhale and tighten your abs when lifting, inhale when lowering.
* Lift in a controlled manner, without bouncing the weights up and down. You get a better muscle workout by doing the move slowly and smoothly up and down.
* Repeat 12 times per set. Do 3 sets with 30 to 60 seconds rest between sets. Use a dumbbell weight that will allow you to do 12 repetitions at a time with good form.
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